Twice the Myanmar Government attempted to confiscate residential and farm land for the Thilawa Special Economic Zone (SEZ), and twice they failed to properly follow Myanmar laws. In both the 1996/97 and 2013 attempts to confiscate lands, the government and private parties ignored the procedures and requirements of Myanmar law, including the Land Acquisition Act. The Myanmar Government failed to properly notify affected communities or provide adequate compensation for relocation. Furthermore, the Thilawa SEZ Management Committee, the Yangon Regional Government, and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) violated JICA’s Guidelines for Environmental and Social Consideration (the “Guidelines”), resulting in significant harm to Thilawa communities. Accordingly, local communities request that these violations be acknowledged and adequately remedied by the Myanmar Government, the Thilawa SEZ Management Committee, and JICA as required by Myanmar law and JICA’s Guidelines.

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https://earthrights.org/wp-content/uploads/thilawa_briefer_-_earthrights_international_0.pdf